The Reading Room

Just finished up The Dakota Cipher by William Dietrich, which is the third novel to feature his hero Ethan Gage.

I'm a bit disappointed, to be honest. It was an enjoyable read, but the author hasn't been able to match the first book in the series, Napolean's Pyramids. I'll not give any spoilers other than to say that Ethan Gage is one of the top five fictional smartasses extant in literature today (and coincedentally, the series would make for a totally kick ass campaign for Colonial Gothic).

Also, I noticed something strange (and perhaps horrifying): as I've been reading the books, I like just about everyone I guess have been projecting my mental image of how the characters look. This inevitably indicates who I think would be perfectly cast in the movie adaptation...which also inevitably leads to disappointment when they actually do make a movie. I'd have never picked Tom Hanks for Michael Langdon, for example. But if they do make a film adaptation of Napolean's Pyramids, I hope they do a better job of reading my mind. It'd be good to see Wil Wheaton get some work again.

What are you reading?

Conventional Wisdom

Today's mail brought me, in addition to the usual array of Pay-Us-Or-Die missives, a very nice letter from the organizers of Chattacon (the local sci-fi convention) thanking me for past support and reminding me that it is time to start planning for next year's bash. Would I care to volunteer? Make my check payable to...

Friends, if you've ever had a great time at a con, consider the folks who organized it. You can't even begin to imagine how much work, heartache, and general-purpose bullshit is involved unless you've been a part of it. I'm talking about smaller, local cons, not the big corporate wank-fests like the one in Indianapolis every August. These local get-togethers truly are labors of love for the organizers, who not only don't make any money off of them, but often bear a substantial burden in the form of lost time on the job and actual out-of-pocket investment.

And if you've never been to a con, I encourage you to scour the Internet for one in your area and check it out. Admission prices are generally less than one of my bar tabs and sometimes include free beverages to boot. Even if (like Chattacon) the main attraction is just a party, how often to you get to party with fellow geeks without feeling self-conscious about it? Guests, vendors, and games are the bonus if you look at it that way.

So will I be volunteering for Chattacon '10? Not this time, I think. Rather I'll watch to see who they line up for guests, then pester someone who runs a certain website that deals in...shall we say RPGmp3s (wink wink nudge nudge) to get me a press pass. What can I say? The Powers That Made Me gave me many gifts. Shame is not among them.

Tell me your convention stories.

Computer RPGers vs Tabletop RPGers

Well, duh. Obviously there are differences between old farts like me who cut their teeth on roleplaying around a tabletop, and the new crop of gamers who came over from computer games like NWN. Why do I even think it noteworthy?

Because I've noticed that a lot of the computer gamers can't seem to cut the cord, that's why. They want everything possible to be automated for them. Excel character sheets that do all the calculations, for example. Clearly, this is their comfort zone, and I'm totally considerate of that; they never had to figure bonuses by hand before, so they're not sure why they shouldn't have it done behind the curtain in the tabletop environment as well. A perfectly valid point of view.

Except that for old farts like me, doing the mechanics are part of the gaming experience just as much as the in-character dialogue and spilling of drinks on the batttlemat are. Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways, but I find myself thinking If you want to play a computer game, play a computer game, and if you want to play tabletop (whether it is over Skype or in person) bring your damn pencil and scratch paper.

Someone tell me I'm off-base.

Terrible Television...But Soooo Awesome

I have better things to do than watch tv. You've heard people say it. Hell, I normally am one of the ones saying it. Currently, of course, it isn't true so I've been watching a lot of television, and yes, most of it still crap.

One of the crappiest I've found recently is Comedy Central's "Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire" (there's supposed to be a couple of umlauts in there, but I can't be bothered...). This thing is the second-stupidest show that network has ever inflicted upon us to my knowledge.

And it is so freaking hilarious every episode sets my recovery back a week (I really am not supposed to laugh yet). Anachronistic pop-culture references? Check. Eye-candy characters that make fun of the fact that they're eye-candy characters? Oh yeah, baby. Fourth wall? What's a fourth wall?
In-jokes that only a complete nerd could get? You betcha.

Seriously, check the show out. You'll either be laughing along with me or cursing my name. Or both. I'm okay with it.